Tree equity rsd_edra
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Transcript of Tree equity rsd_edra
Continued inequity for urban ecosystem services
What will it take to achieve equitable tree canopy distribution in the City of Boston?
Rachel DanfordUniversity of Massachusetts, Amherst
May 30th 2013
Urban Greening
Agenda
• Urban trees • Current urban tree distribution • Methods• Five potential scenarios• Conclusions
Urban trees - ecosystem services
Soil Conservation
Wildlife Habitat
Health Benefits
Community Enrichment
Energy Conservation
Carbon SequestrationWater Conservation
Beauty
Urban canopy
Environmental Justice
Study Area
Traffic Analysis Zone (TAZ)•Commonly used for assessing traffic related data•Can be variable in size
Urban tree distribution
Scenarios
• Population projections• Tree planting potential
– On impervious surface– On pervious surface– Street trees
• Projected canopy loss• Equity (Gini Indices)
Scenarios – “Current Trends”
• Canopy Cover – 28%• Equity ranking – 4• Projected canopy loss - 20,361 trees
• No investment in canopy• 7% population increase• 1% canopy loss
OUTCOMES
INPUTS
Scenarios – “Metrofuture”
• Canopy Cover – 33%• Equity ranking – 3• Projected canopy added – 121,751 trees
• Canopy investment to 35%• Focus on “compact
growth areas”• 18% population increase• 2.6% canopy lossOUTCOMES
INPUTS
Scenarios – “Grow Boston Greener”
• Canopy Cover – 32%• Equity ranking – 3• Projected canopy added – 102,285 trees
• Canopy investment to 35%• Add 100,000 trees to
“underserved” areas• 18% population increase• 2.6% canopy lossOUTCOMES
INPUTS
Scenarios – “Green Equity”
• Canopy Cover – 39%• Equity ranking – 1• Projected canopy added – 365,076 trees
• Canopy investment to 40%• Focus on EJ communities
• 13% population increase• 1.58% canopy loss
OUTCOMES
INPUTS
Scenarios – “All Trees”
• Canopy Cover – 40%• Equity ranking – 2• Projected canopy added – 420,392 trees
• Ecological availability• Plant trees in any available
planting site• 18% population increase• 2.6% canopy loss
OUTCOMES
INPUTS
Conclusions
Equity can be improved!•Even Green Equity doesn’t approach true equity for EJ communities•Any scenario will improve equity over the status quo (Current Trends)
Conclusions
There’s room for more!•Green Equity requires planting over 3x more trees than the current GBG initiative calls for•There’s potential to increase the overall canopy cover in Boston to 40%
Conclusions
Trees aren’t the only answer– Green roofs/walls– Rain gardens– Native landscaping– Permeable paving
What does it take to achieve equitable urban tree canopy distribution? A Boston case study.Rachel Danford, Chingwen Cheng, Michael Strohbach, Robert Ryan, Craig Nicolson, Paige Warren
NSF # BCS-0948984
Thank you!